Doctorate in Education (Research)

Learning and teaching

This is a distance e-learning programme delivered via Moodle, the University’s chosen Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).  Our approach to learning and teaching emphasises the construction and maintenance of an online learning community that is both challenging and supportive.  Participants are offered both flexibility and supportive scaffolding via a series of formative learning activities structured around four or five milestone targets for each taught course.  Learning support takes the form of group and individual communications facilitated by VLE-enabled discussions and supplemented by the appropriate use of email, telephone, and face-to-face meetings if appropriate.  Increasingly staff and participants are using synchronous web communication tools for additional interaction.

All programme participants are automatically enrolled in the EdD Common Room in which there is advice on the use of Moodle, academic literacy and learning support resources appropriate to this level of study. Three weeks prior to commencing the first EdD course, students participate in an online induction programme set within the space and context of the first course.  That programme seeks to ensure that all feel competent and confident in using the Moodle learning environment prior to commencing their formal studies.

Each taught course in years one to three has an integral face-to-face weekend study school that is, ordinarily, compulsory and focuses on providing support and interaction around the sharing of academic experience and professional practice relevant to the respective courses.  When students are in years four and five of the programme, the dissertation phase, each participant works individually with a designated supervisor whilst retaining membership of a learning community via an online Moodle space designed to facilitate progress sharing, issue raising and continuing supportive group interaction.

Participants are normally expected to be online at least once a week, to contribute to discussions and other course activities and to complete all milestone activities.